Alfie uncertain for Game 3

Ottawa Senator Daniel Alfredsson gets helped off the ice after receiving a hit to the head by the New York Rangers during second period action Saturday night in New York. (Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency)

Topics

Of the 111 playoff games in modern-day Senators history, captain Daniel Alfredsson has missed only four.

Will No. 11 suit up for game No. 112 Monday night?

That’s the burning question after coach Paul MacLean told reporters Sunday Alfredsson is feeling better after taking a vicious elbow to the head from Rangers forward Carl Hagelin on Saturday night.

While Alfredsson wasn’t on the bench when Chris Neil scored the OT winner in a 3-2 Ottawa victory that evened the series at 1-1, his return for Game 3 at Scotiabank Place hasn’t been ruled out.

It’s believed Alfredsson’s chances of playing are 50/50. He wasn’t at Scotiabank Place for an optional skate on Sunday.

“He was feeling good (Sunday). So we’ll see,” said MacLean. “He’ll be further evaluated and we’ll see what it’s like (Monday).”

MacLean said he didn’t know if Alfredsson, who missed five games with a concussion in early November after getting hit by former Rangers forward Wojtek Wolski, would be ready to take part in the pre-game skate.

His teammates are optimistic that even if Alfredsson doesn’t play Monday, he won’t be out for long.

“It’s tough for us to lose (Alfredsson). Hopefully, he should be fine,” said defenceman Erik Karlsson, who played 30:06 in Game 2, had 10 shots and scored the opening goal. “He’s still the same old happy guy. We’ll see how he feels and it’s probably going to be a game-time decision.”

If Alfredsson has a concussion, he could be done for the series, which means the Senators would have to soldier on without their leader.

Centre Jason Spezza said the club is up for the challenge, especially after the confidence-boosting win in New York.

“We’ve been a group that’s picked each other up all throughout the year,” said Spezza.

“Nothing seems to get us down. You look back to the Islanders game, I’m not there and (Alfredsson’s) not there, and the guys play one of the best games of the year.

“We hope (Alfredsson’s) not out for very long. We like him better in the lineup. If he is out, we’re going to rally and try to play as good as we can, so when he comes back we’re in a good position in the series.”

The complexion of the series has changed after Saturday’s bruising contest. New York’s 4-2 victory in Game 1 was widely regarded as a ho-hum affair, especially with all eyes on the Penguins-Flyers war in Pennsylvania, but the intensity has ratcheted up.

“We wanted to defend ourselves,” said goalie Craig Anderson.

“We wanted to play a hard-nosed game. We did what we had to do to stick up for each other. We stuck together as a group of five.”

The decision to dress Matt Carkner and his payback on Brian Boyle for the liberties he took on Karlsson in Game 1 have set the tone for what’s suddenly become a very physical series.

“It’s playoffs. It’s intense,” said Spezza. “You see the same team night in and night out. You’re going to have natural rivalries. It’s going to get more intense as it goes on. It’s definitely intensity picking up and you can definitely feel the temperature of the series is rising.”